The present invention relates in general to coke cooling chambers and equipment connected thereto, and in particular to a new and useful discharger for dry coke cooling chambers which can be operated substantially continuously and still maintain a gastight state for the cooling chamber.
Both continuously and discontinously operating discharger mechanisms are known. In German Pat. Nos. 2,209,075 and 2,538,837, for example, discontinuously operating dischargers are disclosed, which are each designed with two bins following each other and located below the discharge outlet of a coke cooling chamber. A gate is provided both between the cooling chamber and the upper bin and between the upper and lower bins, which gates are intended to withstand the weight of a coke charge and in addition, to close the opening in a gastight manner. The function of the upper gate is to periodically interrupt the flow of material and to close the cooling chamber in a gastight manner without interference from pieces of coke caught between the gate and the opening.
A discontinuous discharge of coke from the dry coke cooling chamber causes strong shocks in the cooling chamber and irregularities in the coke cooling process. The operational efficiency of a discontinuous discharge also is inferior to that of a continuous one.
In a continuous coke discharge from a coke cooling chamber, problems are caused by a simultaneous stopping of gas and material. A star wheel lock, provided in German Pat. No. 1,071,657 for example, causes an undesirable fragmentation of the coke and considerable stressing of the wheel material, so that after a short service time gastightness is no longer insured. The disturbance and repair quota is therefore, high.
Another device for continuous coke discharge from a dry coke cooling chamber is known from German Pat. No. 1,173,870. In this design the coke is directed by means of star cylinders into separate hoppers which are closed by a double water seal. The discharge volume per lock is very small and limited so that a larger number of star cylinders, hoppers and water seals is needed. Also, the water seals increase chances of corrosion.